Sahil Jhamb

Why did you choose to study Management Sciences at Loughborough University?

I chose Management Sciences because I viewed it as the perfect intersection of different disciplines that I found interesting like understanding human behaviour, economics, marketing and strategy.

This subsequently enabled me to build a strong foundation in business that gave me the platform to delve into entrepreneurial endeavours and even put my knowledge to practice through my placement year. It was a degree with an amazing reputation and that translated into a learning experience I believe to be incredibly unique.

How has Loughborough University inspired and helped you to progress in your career?

The Loughborough Students’ Union Enterprise Hub, the entrepreneurial societies and the culture of sporting excellence that permeated throughout the campus and the students within it inspired me. Sitting and studying alongside athletes and entrepreneurs in my lecture hall and learning from these individuals gave me the motivation to push myself, take risks and pursue constant self-improvement.

Loughborough consequently gave me the confidence to dream big and the work ethic and discipline needed to make my dreams a reality. I arrived at Loughborough idealistic about making an impact and changing the world, and this University hasn’t dampened this idealism, but strengthened it. I wouldn’t have secured my placement at Microsoft nor would I have secured a graduate job with Facebook were it not for Loughborough.

Would there be one piece of advice that you would give to current or prospective students looking to study the same subject that you did?

Complement your degree with experience wherever possible. If you’ve learnt something interesting and are keen to apply it – do it. Join a business society, leverage the internet and get involved in any extracurricular activity that can help you apply your knowledge. It’s a quick way of putting theory into practice and challenging the theory that you’re taught. Even if you fail, that’s fine, because when you’re sitting opposite an interviewer and you’re in a position to recount all these unique experiences that you’ve accumulated whilst at Loughborough (bearing in mind, you’re still a student!) they’ll be impressed and so will you.

Did you take part in any extracurricular activities during your studies? If so, how did this impact upon your Loughborough experience?

I started running marathons at Loughborough which established a lot of discipline and promoted the importance of delayed gratification. It made me appreciate the importance of patience and hard work. I feel that I can partly attribute the benefits accrued in my other extracurricular activities, like Enactus and Tedx for example, to these lessons learnt from running.

My favourite extracurricular activity was joining the board of trustees of a charity my friend started at Loughborough called Russ International. It’s a charity that’s currently focused on improving the lives of women and children in India.

From being involved in this and other similar ventures with him, I’ve been fortunate to be the recipient of the Ede and Ravenscroft Travel Scholarship, the Santander Best Business Idea of 2015 Award, and even receiving the Dean’s Award for Enterprise in 2016, which was something I am truly grateful for. All this came about because I pursued my curiosities early on at university by joining different societies and constantly seeking to apply what I learnt in my degree to make an impact and change the world.

What does your current role with Facebook involve, and how did you secure the role?

I’m a Facebook Partner Strategist for the UK market. I work with small businesses and marketing agencies to help them build their strategy and drive value through our Facebook family of apps. It’s pretty entrepreneurial given that the onus is often on you to make things happen and prove that you are making impact. It’s a challenging environment but I’m definitely improving because of it.

I was pointed in this direction through networks I had built up at Microsoft, which goes to show the long-lasting value of Loughborough’s placement scheme. Once I was made aware of the opportunity, I had to go through a rigorous application process that consisted of over five interviews.

What are you looking forward to in your new job?

Entering a new environment full of unknown variables. Facebook has a reputation for hiring really smart and successful candidates. I’m looking forward to being the small fish in the big pond essentially because I know it will make me push myself even further. Their mission statement appeals to me to because it resonates with some of my intrinsic values and ideals of contributing something meaningful to the world. I’ll need to work hard, but like I found out at Loughborough, if I’m willing to put in the work and learn from other people, hopefully good things will come.